Peer advocates supporting older people affected by cancer

Government urged to invest £5.2bn in preventative health and social care

OPAAL welcomes this new report commissioned by the LGA calling for an increased investment in preventative health and social care.

The government urgently needs to invest £5.2 billion over the next four years to overhaul the health and social care system, according to a report commissioned by the Local Government Association.
The report by Ernst and Young calls for the government to divert £1.3 billion from the budget each year over the next four year to develop a new health and social care system.
Data shows that around 30% of health and care service users take up over two-thirds of the health and social care budget.
The proceeds from the transformation fund have been recommended to be used on preventative measures, especially for long-term conditions which cost the health system an estimated £88 billion per year.
The LGA report suggests that the extra financing could keep elderly and disabled out of hospital and healthier for longer rather than putting money into the most serious conditions so that the long term state of the health and social care system is improved.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “We need an urgent and radical change to the way in which we provide care for the elderly and disabled.
“It is social care services which keep people out of hospital and living in the community for longer. Social care and health are two sides of the same coin – it is quite clear that without adequate funding, social care simply cannot alleviate the pressure on the NHS.
“The Government needs to invest money in a system which will be there to look after people now and in the future, and commit to a long-term strategy to ensure that people get the care they need.”

We believe this includes ensuring that all older people who need independent support to access the care they need and want to maintain wellbeing deserve to access this support, and if necessary independent advocacy to ensure their voice does not get lost in the system.

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We've published "Every Step of the Way": 13 stories illustrating the difference that independent advocacy makes to older people affected by cancer and "Facing Cancer Together": demonstrating the power of independent advocacy.

You can find and download pdf's via the "About Us" page. You can click on "About Us" on the top right of this page. Alternatively you can order hard copies free from Macmillan Cancer Support by following the same link as above.

We've now also published "Time: our gift to you", 19 volunteers' stories from some of our peer advocates and cancer champions. It can also be downloaded via the "About Us" page on the top right of this page.